Kingdom Hearts: The Next Generation
by Masuko the Keyblader
Summary: Many years have passed, and a new threat overthrows Maleficent, and steals the hearts of Sora and Riku. Now it's up to their children to finish what their parents started. Created by me and my cousin.
1. The Legend of Sora and Kingdom Hearts

Hey everypeoplez. Here's the deal with this story. About a year ago, me and my cousin Mike grew tired of waiting for Kingdom Hearts 2 to come out, so we decided to make our own Kingdom Hearts story. I think it was pretty good, but then my cousin moved away and we never got to finish it. So, I've decided to bring our story back after all this time. I had to tweak the story a little bit, since with the release of KH2, parts of our story didn't make sense. Half of the credit for this story goes directly to Mike, because without him, the story would not exist. This first chapter is just a recap though, just to bring some people up to date. I really hope you enjoy it.

All things Kingdom Hearts related are owned by Square-Enix.

All things Disney related are owned by the Walt Disney Company.

All OCs and the plot are owned by me and my cousin Mike.

Now let's get this show on the road! Ladies and germs, I proudly present Kingdom Hearts: The Next Generation!

Chapter 1

The Legend of Sora and Kingdom Hearts

Years ago, a brilliant man named Ansem the Wise sought to understand the nature of the heart and the influence of the darkness upon it. Fearing the darkness would overtake his world, Radiant Garden, he began to research these mysteries, hoping to find a shield against the threat. He discovered that when the heart of a being is lost to darkness, it is liberated from the body and swallowed. Then the darkness takes shape, becoming a creature that seeks out other hearts to steal, enveloping them in darkness and multiplying. He dubbed these strange creatures the Heartless.

Although creatures of instinct, the Heartless can be manipulated, commanded, and artificially enhanced. Ansem discovered the Heartless were drawn to power and sought not only the hearts of individuals, but also something greater – the hearts of worlds themselves!

One day, Ansem received a visitor. It was King Mickey Mouse from Disney Castle. Mickey had learned about the Heartless and realized the threat they posed. Should the Heartless consume a world's heart, the boundaries between worlds would decay. They would eventually spread to others, growing and consuming, until all was lost to darkness.

Despite King Mickey's warnings, the experiments continued. Now shrouded in darkness, Ansem grew in power. His world soon began to overflow with Heartless, becoming the ravaged world known as Hollow Bastion. With Ansem vanishing into darkness, others sought to control this dark power. Using the abandoned castle in Hollow Bastion as a staging ground, a consortium of villains – Oogie Boogie, Ursala, Captain Hook, Jafar, Hades, and their leader Maleficent – used Ansem's research to seek an even greater power, using the Heartless to break the way and discover the keys to Kingdom Hearts.

The legendary Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds. Seven princesses held the keys to this treasure within their pure hearts, untouched by darkness, and the villains scoured and destroyed world after world to kidnap them. Alice, Belle, Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White, Cinderella, and another…

One such world consumed by the Heartless, Destiny Islands, but one that would prove pivotal in the war against the darkness. Three young friends, Sora, Riku, and Kairi, were flung to strange worlds as their world was swallowed by the darkness.

Sora, stranded in the transient world of Traverse Town after Destiny Islands was destroyed, found himself the bearer of the mysterious Keyblade. This weapon could lock and unlock magical doors and free hearts from the darkness. Donald Duck and Goofy, from the court of Disney Castle, found Sora and accompanied him in search for their friends, Riku and King Mickey. Riku and the King made a second journey, looking for answers as to why the experiments on the Heartless had not ceased.

Sora and his new friends journeyed from world to world, sealing away each world's keyhole, having them from the approaching darkness. Sora was briefly reunited with his friends, in the process learning that Kairi was one of the seven princesses whose heart was needed to open Kingdom Hearts. While Riku and Sora ended up clashing, as Riku struggled with the darkness within his own heart – a darkness named Ansem. With all the pawns in place, Ansem opened the doorway to Kingdom Hearts but was defeated by Sora. To prevent the darkness from spreading, Riku and King Mickey sealed themselves on the other side of the doorway to the dark world. As the worlds consumed by the Heartless reformed, Sora and Kairi were separated again, but their hearts intertwined.

As time passed on, Sora, Donald and Goofy searched for their friends and a way back home, defeating every foe that crossed their way in the process. They were eventually reunited with the King, but Riku wasn't with him. When Sora questioned him, Mickey refused to answer, saying that he made a promise to Riku. Sadly, in order for Riku to help Sora, he felt that he needed to use the powers of darkness, and the only way to do that was to take the form of the darkness in his heart; Ansem.

Riku felt what he had done was unforgivable, but he was surprised by Sora's response. "No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within," he said. Sora had learned this a long time ago, and still followed its teachings.

When the worlds were safe from the Heartless at last, and Riku's true form restored, Sora opened the door to light, and was able to return home with Riku and his friends.

However, our story doesn't end there…


	2. Just Another Day on the Islands

Hey guys. It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry, everything's been a little hectic lately. School and all that. Anyway, I need to ask you guys a favor. But when me and Mike wrote this, we didn't have a lot of knowledge about the Kingdom Hearts universe, so some things may not make sense from time to time, but I've tried to fix it, so please bear with me. So, here's the favor; the two main characters of this fic are related as cousins. I wanted to keep this fact constant, and the only way to make this work was to give Kairi a sister. Yeah, me and Mike didn't think that through till we were really far into the story. Sorry if there's any confusion. And with that, let's officially start the show!

Chapter 2

Just Another Day on the Islands

…in fact, our story is just beginning.

Many years have passed since Sora, Riku and Kairi returned to Destiny Islands. In all that time, the islands have only managed to grow more beautiful. Its thick tropical forests and plant-life give it a beauty and majesty that few can only dream of witnessing for themselves. The water is crystal clear and brimming with colorful fish. Peaceful and clean, it is a perfect place to raise your children.

Speaking of children, let us turn our attention now to one of the children of the island, though he's not much of a child anymore. A teen of about 14 years, Masuko wore a white T-shirt, a pair of blue shorts, and a soft smile as he walked along the beach, taking in the sights that he has seen many times before. The sights never changed, but they were always beautiful, and they never got old. These were the words Masuko thought to himself as a gentle breeze blew through his spiky, reddish-brown hair.

Masuko has been living on the islands since he was a baby. He loved the islands; with the way things are, he didn't have a care in the world. Well, except maybe school, but it wasn't _that_ bad. As he continued to stare out towards the horizon towards the bright morning sun, Masuko thought, "_It's mornings like these that make me glad to be here. I must be pretty lucky. I don't think there's anything else I could ask for._" As he continued to think, however, the smile slowly began to disappear from his face. "…_and yet…_"

"Ya know, if you keep staring at nothing all day, people are going to think there's something wrong with you." Snapping out of his trance, Masuko turned to find the source of the voice. A few feet away stood a boy about Masuko's age, possibly a bit older, with short silver hair. He wore a dark blue T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He was Itoko, Masuko's cousin and closest friend.

Masuko just chuckled and replied, "Like they don't already." Itoko walked over to Masuko's side and took in the same view he did. "So true." They both remained silent for a few minutes, and then finally, Itoko asked, "You got any plans for today?" Masuko just shook his head, "Nope, I've got nothing."

"Good. Dad's got me on yard detail, and you're going to help me," Itoko said abruptly. Masuko jumped, "What?! Why me?!" "Because, your dad told my dad you would be happy to help," Itoko answered. Then Itoko grabbed Masuko by the shoulder and started pulling him away from the beach, all the while Masuko tried to break free. "Sorry Maz, but your under my charge now!" Itoko proceeded to drag Masuko all the way back to his house, where Itoko's father was waiting for him in the backyard.

"Hey guys. 'Bout time you showed up," he said to the two boys. "Hey dad," Riku replied. "Hi Uncle Riku," Masuko said as he rolled his eyes, wishing he was somewhere else. As you have probably figured out, Riku is Itoko's father and Masuko's uncle. Riku had grown up, married and has been raising a family since his return to the islands. Although some of his silver hairs were beginning to turn grey, he still remained fit and healthy, so you couldn't call him "old man".

After a few minutes, Masuko and Itoko began their work. I'm not going to bore you with the details, so we'll skip ahead a bit to about noon, when Masuko and Itoko were finished with their work. Although sweaty and dirty, the two boys had a look of accomplishment on their faces as they surveyed their handiwork. "Looks good," Itoko said. "Yeah, I guess," Maz replied, "I hope we're getting paid for this."

As the two put the supplies away, a woman came out of the house carrying a tray of food. This was Itoko's mother Miharu, a bright woman with long blonde hair and a warm smile on her face. "Wow, you guys did a great job out here," she said. "Hi Aunt Miharu," Masuko greeted. "I bet you two are hungry. I brought out some lunch for you," Miharu said. The two thanked her and ate the sandwiches she made. "Thanks Aunt Miharu," Masuko said to her, then he turned to Itoko, "Now lets get stepping before your dad thinks of something else for us to do." Itoko agreed and they both took off towards the front yard…and rammed right into Masuko's father. Maz and Itoko fell backwards, but Sora remained standing. "Whoa, slow down guys. Where's the fire?"

Itoko rubbed his sore head, "Sorry Uncle Sora, we were just kinda in a hurry." Sora helped the two up as he said, "That's alright. No harm done." You would hardly recognize Sora if you knew him from a couple of years back. Sora had grown up quite a bit since then. Now tall and strong, Sora had even decided to comb his trademark spiky hair down, though it did still have of few of its old spikes. "So you guys finished already?"

"Yeah, but if you don't mind, we've gotta get going," Masuko said, hoping to escape before Riku caught them. But as bad luck would have it, Riku grabbed them by the collars of their shirts as they were about to leave. "Where do you two think you're going?" Maz and Itoko looked at each other, then back at Riku and said, "The beach," simultaneously. "Nice try, but you've still got work to do," Riku said. "What?! But we finished the backyard! What more is there to do," Masuko asked.

"The front yard." Both boys groaned at this. Masuko snapped his fingers and said, "Damn, I knew there was something we were forgetting."

Man, I hate slow chapters, but every story has to start somewhere I guess. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick things up in the next chapter.


	3. The Wishing Star

Hey guys. Ok, I know there is probably a lot of confusion about how everybody is related, so I'll try and explain it as best as I can. Because of the way me and Mike wrote this, Miharu (an OC) is Kairi's sister. Sora married Kairi (who didn't see that coming), and Riku married Miharu. Sora and Kairi had Masuko, and Riku and Miharu had Itoko, so that makes Masuko and Itoko cousins. I know, it's a bit outside of canon, but don't worry, Miharu plays a VERY small part in the story, so we won't have to talk about this again once we get past the Destiny Island chapters. I am sorry for any confusion, but me and Mike are confusing people. There's no getting around that.

Chapter 3

The Wishing Star

The rest of the day went by pretty slowly, what with Riku finding various odd jobs for Masuko and Itoko to do all day. By the time they were done, the sun was already beginning to set, casting the islands in a blanket of twilight. Masuko sat on the trunk of the old paopu tree alone; Itoko had already gone home for dinner. The horizontal tree rested on an island just off shore from the main island. This is where all the kids of Destiny Islands usually hung out, but today, Masuko found himself completely by himself.

As Masuko watched the sun linger over the horizon, the smile that was present on his face that morning had all but disappeared. The events of the day didn't put him in a very good mood, but he was more sad then annoyed. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Masuko was usually saddened during sunsets. It always made him think that another day had gone by and nothing out of the ordinary happened. "_It's the same thing everyday,_" he thought to himself. As Masuko sat there, he began to reminisce on what was really getting him down.

He reminisced to a time when he was only about three years old. One night in particular, he had had a nightmare about the "bogeyman", as children often do. Upon hearing his screaming, Sora came into his room to comfort him. "What's wrong Masuko," Sora questioned. Fighting back tears, mini-Maz answered, "The bogeyman tried to get me." Sora brought his son in close and said, "Aw, don't worry Masuko. It was only a dream. Besides, the bogeyman can't hurt anybody."

"_Sniff_. Really?" Sora nodded, "Yep. To tell you the truth, I met the bogeyman once, and let me tell you, he's nothing but a big sissy." Then Sora got an idea, "Have I ever told you about the time me, Donald, and Goofy went to Halloween Town?" Masuko shook his head. Sora knew it was a little late for a story, but Masuko needed some reassurance. "Well, just sit back and I tell you," he said, tucking Masuko in. And with that, Sora preceded to tale Masuko a whimsical tale about Halloween Town, the gambling bogeyman who couldn't win a gambling match to save his life, and about Jack, the mighty Pumpkin King.

This is what Sora and Masuko did most nights when he was younger. Whenever Maz couldn't sleep or was looking for something to do, Sora would tell him amazing stories about how he would travel to many different worlds, fighting bad guys and saving the day with his two greatest friends; the short-tempered wizard Donald Duck, and the clumsy but friendly knight Goofy. Each story was different and they were never boring. Sora's stories about magical genies, talking animals, and the mysterious Heartless captivated Masuko ever since he was a child.

However, even though they were supposed to be fairy tales, Masuko was never entirely sure whether they were real or not. When Masuko was young, obviously, he thought they were entirely true. As Masuko got older, he realized, "_They're just too good to be true_." However, recently Masuko began to think, "_They're just too good to be fake!_" Maz didn't know why, but for some reason, a little voice in the back of his head was always asking, "_What if_?"

As Masuko continued to ponder, it turns out he wasn't alone after all. Itoko watched from a distance as his cousin just lay on the tree and stared off into space. Unbeknownst to Masuko, Itoko had been observing him for sometime. Everyday for the past month, when the sun was setting, Masuko would always sneak off to this island, always doing what he was doing now, and each time Itoko would secretly follow him, trying to figure out what was ailing his cousin. After awhile of just thinking, Masuko would always get up and go home, and Itoko would do the same.

Today, however, Itoko decided to take action. After a month of observing, he hadn't gotten any leads, so today, he decided to directly ask Masuko what was wrong. So, he walked up to Masuko and said, "Here again, huh?" Masuko quickly turned, not expecting to see Itoko here. "How long have you been here?" Itoko simply replied, "Long enough. Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Maz just shook his head and returned to his original position. "No? Masuko, something's gotta be up. You've been coming here everyday for almost a month, just sulking there. You can tell me," Itoko said. But Masuko just shook his head, "I can't."

"And why not?"

"You'll just laugh at me."

"C'mon Maz, I wouldn't do that. I'm your best friend. Besides, who else are ya going to tell?" Itoko had a point. It's not like he could talk to just anyone about this problem. Masuko sighed, "Ok, I'll tell you." There was a slight pause, and then he continued, "Do you remember when we were really little, and dad would tell us those stories about other worlds?" Itoko had to think about that for a moment, but he soon remembered. Unlike Masuko, Itoko never really paid much attention to his Uncle Sora's stories. "Yeah, I remember," he said, "What about them?"

"Well, lately I can't help but think that…maybe there was a little bit of truth to it," Masuko said, "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but haven't you ever wondered what it's like in the outside world? I mean, wouldn't you just want to get up and see the world?" Itoko chuckled at this; he always knew Masuko had a bit of an overactive imagination, but this was weird even for him. "Maz, I can see where you're going with this. You wanna go on an adventure just like the ones your old man keeps talking about, right? Well, it would be nice," he said as he sat down next to his cousin, "But you have to understand; there's a fine line between what can be done, and what's impossible. Goofy; fictitious. Donald Duck; fictitious. Mickey Mouse; fictitious! None of that stuff really happened."

When Itoko finally managed to stop talking, he took notice of his cousin's expression. Masuko looked like he had just been shot down (even his spiky hair seemed to droop a little). That was definitely not the answer he was looking for. "_Crap_," Itoko thought as he realized this. Even though he knew he was right, he couldn't stand to see his best friend unhappy, especial if he was the one who caused it. Even though he knew Masuko's dream was impossible, Itoko decided to humor him. "But, I guess what you're feeling is kinda justified. Hell, my dad said he wanted to do the same thing when he was our age," Itoko said.

However, Masuko saw right through Itoko's lie. "I'm not kidding Itoko! I'm dead serious!" Masuko paused, and looked up at the star-less sky. "Every time I look up at the sky…I feel small. Worthless. It's the same thing day in and day out on this sand-trap! I know there's something much bigger out there! I wanna get out there and do something with my life! I wanna get out there and see it all!"

Masuko stopped, realizing he had lost his temper. "Sorry," he said. "It's ok," Itoko replied. "Look Itoko, we've been tight since we were both little. We've been more like brothers then anything else. I wanna tell you something I never told anyone before. It's kinda why I've been feeling down recently," Masuko said as he stood up. Itoko was a bit confused at first, but he knew if Masuko was really serious, he would respect his wishes. "Sure Maz. What is it?"

Then, all of a sudden, soft music stated to play. However, it caught no one by surprise. It was obvious Masuko was gonna start singing. This was common amongst the people of this world. Hell, it was probably common for people all over the universe. It was just a different way of talking, and it was as much a part of common life as eating and sleeping were. As Masuko looked off into the horizon, he started singing.

_**Masuko**__: I have often dreamed_

_Of a far off place_

_Where a great, warm welcome_

_Would be waiting for me_

_Where the crowds will cheer_

_When they see my face _

_And a voice keeps saying_

_This is where I'm meant to be._

_I'll be there someday_

_I can go the distance_

_I will find my way_

_If I can be strong_

_I know ev'ry mile_

_Will be worth my while_

_When I go the distance_

_I'll be right where I belong._

Itoko was left dumbstruck. So this is why Masuko's been acting so strange. He truly believes his father and he wants to be a hero just like him. As impossible as this dream seemed, Itoko couldn't help but think that maybe Masuko could prove him wrong. Maybe there really were other worlds out there, and maybe one day Masuko will get there and fulfill his dream. Although he would never admit it, he had a deep respect for Masuko, 'cause he dared to dream what others wouldn't.

Itoko smiled, put his hand on Masuko's shoulder, and said, "Cousin, you will be there someday. I'm sure of it." Masuko smiled back, "Thanks Itoko. I knew I could count on you." Itoko nodded, "Now c'mon. It's getting late. We should probably head back." Masuko agreed and they started heading back towards the dock, where their boats were waiting. Masuko began to trail behind as he noticed something in the sky. The first star of the night had peaked through the sun light. Upon seeing this, Masuko remembered an old nursery rhyme his mother had told him when he was little.

_When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you._

He knew it was a little immature, but he thought, "_Why not_?" Silently, he prayed to himself, "_I wish I could see other worlds, and be a hero just like my dad."_ Noticing that Masuko was lagging behind, Itoko called out, "C'mon Maz, hurry up!" This brought Masuko out of his daydream. "I'm coming," he called back as he ran to catch up with Itoko, all the while hoping that his wish would come true.

However, if Masuko had kept his eyes on the star for a few more seconds, he would have seen the star twinkle for a few moments, and then go out.

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Author's Notes: If any of you have played the first Kingdom Hearts, you know that is NOT a good thing!

A bit of a sappy chapter, but hey, it's Disney after all. And what's a Disney story without some music? I felt that the scene didn't work to its fullest without it. There will probably be a few other songs through out this fic, just to warn you. But just to let you know: the next chapter is when the fun REALLY starts!


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